Legal fees and stamp duty calculator
For buying a subsale home in Peninsular Malaysia. Put in the price and your loan, and you'll see what you'll pay your lawyer and the government, line by line.
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What each cost is for
What each line on your estimate actually pays for.
Legal fee for the SPA
Your lawyer's charge for handling the SPA and getting the title transferred into your name. The rate is fixed by the Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023: 1.25% of the first RM500,000 of the price, then 1% of the next RM7 million, with a minimum of RM500. Lawyers can give up to 25% off.
Legal fee for the loan agreement
If you're taking a home loan, a lawyer from the bank's panel prepares the loan documents. You pay for this, on the same scale as the SPA, but based on your loan amount rather than the price.
Service tax
8% on the legal fees only. It went up from 6% on 1 March 2024, which is why some older calculators online come out a little low.
Disbursements
Out-of-pocket costs your lawyer pays for you and passes on at cost: land and bankruptcy searches, land office registration fees, stamping, courier and printing. They depend on the state and the type of title, so treat our figure as a placeholder.
Stamp duty on the transfer (MOT)
Usually the biggest single cost after the down payment. It's charged on the memorandum of transfer: 1% on the first RM100,000, 2% up to RM500,000, 3% up to RM1 million and 4% above that, based on the price or the market value, whichever is higher.
Stamp duty on the loan agreement
A flat 0.5% of the loan amount. Eligible first-time buyers of homes up to RM500,000 don't pay this at all.
Not included above: the valuation fee for your bank, mortgage insurance (MRTA or MLTA), fire insurance for landed homes, utility deposits, and your share of the quit rent, assessment and maintenance charges that get settled with the seller at completion. Our home-buying guide covers these.
Common questions
Who pays the legal fees in a subsale?
Each side pays their own lawyer. As the buyer, you pay your lawyer's fee for the SPA and transfer, the loan agreement fees if you're borrowing, and both stamp duties. The seller pays their own lawyer separately.
Can I negotiate the legal fees?
Yes, a bit. Lawyers can't charge more than the scale, but the rules let them knock up to 25% off the fee for a sale or a loan. Plenty of people never think to ask. Disbursements also vary between firms, so compare the whole quote rather than the headline fee.
Is stamp duty waived for first-time home buyers?
Yes, if you qualify. Malaysian citizens buying their first home for RM500,000 or less pay no stamp duty on the transfer or the loan agreement, for SPAs signed up to 31 December 2027.
Budget 2027, tabled on 9 October 2026, proposes going further for SPAs signed from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030: no duty on the first RM500,000, and half the duty on the part between RM500,000 and RM750,000. It still has to become law, so check with your lawyer before you count on it.
Can I include the legal fees in my home loan?
Often, yes. Many banks let you finance the legal fees, valuation fee and mortgage insurance as part of the loan, and some packages cover the loan agreement fees for you. It's worth asking before you accept the bank's letter of offer, since it changes how much cash you need upfront.
Does this work for a new project from a developer?
Not quite. With new projects, developers often pay the SPA legal fees as a promotion, and the fee rules are different. Use this calculator for subsale (secondary market) homes. A calculator for new projects is on our list.
I'm buying in Sabah or Sarawak. Does this apply?
The stamp duty part does, because stamp duty is the same nationwide. Legal fees in Sabah and Sarawak follow their own scales, so treat the legal fee lines as a rough guide only.
Why is my lawyer's quote different from this?
Usually it's the disbursements, a small discount, or extra work. For example, a leasehold property may need state consent, and a property without its own strata title goes through a deed of assignment instead of a transfer. Your lawyer can walk you through each line.
New to buying a subsale home?
Our guide walks through every step, from the offer letter to the keys, with the costs at each stage.
This calculator gives an estimate for general information only. It isn't legal advice and it doesn't replace a quote from a lawyer. Figures are based on the Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023, the Stamp Act 1949 and Budget announcements as at 4 November 2026. See our full disclaimer.